Andrew James Birkett and Hamish Lovemore are making their Olympic debut for South Africa at Paris 2024, but they are both hoping to be back at Los Angeles 2028 in an event much better suited to their style of paddling.
Birkett and Lovemore both watched the kayak cross finals, the new Canoe Slalom event in Paris and believe Canoe Sprint could have a similar response if it introduced 5000m with portages.
It’s often said a South African won’t bother getting in a kayak unless they can paddle at least a couple of kilometres.
The history of Canoe Marathon and Canoe Ocean Racing is dominated by South Africans. Within the country, they have some of the most challenging and difficult kayak races in the world. Like the Dusi Marathon, an annual race of about 120 kilometres that features portages to make your feet bleed and waterways to make your muscles burst.
But that endurance form has not transferred to Olympic performances. A solitary bronze in London for Bridgitte Hartley in the women’s kayak single 500m is the only medal the country has to show from seven Games appearances. For Tokyo 2020, South Africa didn’t send an athlete.
But there is a team in Paris, including Birkett and Lovemore - two men who are usually much more comfortable over longer distances. Much longer distances.
Birkett and Lovemore can paddle all day, and probably well into the night if you gave them the challenge.
Birkett is a two-time ICF Canoe Marathon world champion and has won 14 Dusi titles. He also won gold when marathon made its debut at the World Games. Lovemore is also a marathon U23 world champion and has been regularly challenging for the podium at ICF 5000m races.
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And they are taking their Olympic opportunity seriously. Lovemore moved in with Birkett for a couple of months leading to Paris so they could train together in the men’s kayak double 500m. They’ll also take the opportunity in Paris to have a crack in the kayak single 1000m.
“We are definitely a bit shocked that we qualified a few months ago, but we took it as a new challenge and an awesome opportunity to come and race here,” Birkett said.
“We’ve given it a good go for the past six months prepping for this. We love racing, any type of race we’re just happy to be on the start line, and to honestly just be in the mix. And for us it felt like we were in the mix and enjoying our race.”
The South Africans got better with every K2 race. Their heat was a bit of a struggle, but then everything clicked in during a competitive quarter-final. And then lining up in a very strong semi-final, they went within a whisker of qualifying for the gold medal race.
And that was even before they got to finish their K1 adventure.
“I think it really is a specialist event the K1 1000m, definitely those guys that are in the medals or the top five are in a different league altogether,” Lovemore said.
“I think it’s a new journey for both of us, this sprinting. We’ve been focused on marathons for the past few years, and then the opportunity came, so I phoned Andy and said let’s go for it.
“For us the journey has only been about six months, but we’re happy to be here. It’s been way bigger than what we were expecting.”
And as for the future? The 5000m has been a regular part of ICF World Cups for several years, and now uses portages, where athletes need to get out of the water and run for a short distance before jumping back into the boat.
If it was introduced at the Olympic Games, it wouldn’t require extra athlete quotas, as those who have qualified for other events would be able to enter.
And Birkett thinks it would be a natural fit, especially with the excitement surrounding the debut of kayak cross.
“I think it would be awesome to see the 5000m in the Olympics, with portages,” he said.
“We saw in the kayak cross, huge event, it was so exciting to watch. I think we could have a similar scenario with canoe marathon with portages, with athletes focusing on that. It would be exciting racing.
“So hopefully.”
